Fresh Adjustments
by AmandaBaker852
Summary: How will Doctor McCoy adjust to being back on Earth after the five year mission of the Enterprise A is concluded? This story is a sequel to Fresh Starts. McCoy/OC. Part 2 of A Fresh McCoy Romance series.
1. Chapter 1

A/N:

First, this is a disclaimer that Star Trek belongs to CBS and Paramount not myself. No copyright infringement is intended by this work.

Second, this story is completed so it will be updated weekly. I hope you enjoy the story.

Chapter One

Stardate 2266.08

As he drove a hover car from his quarters near Starfleet Medical in San Francisco to his mom's house in Atlanta Georgia, McCoy wondered if only his mom and daughter would be there to greet him that evening. With the time difference they would have eaten dinner already as he had done before he left the city. He could have been there nearly instantly with a transporter but he didn't trust that particular piece of technology. As for a shuttle, he'd never liked them and he wanted the quiet of driving a hover car by himself in order to have time to think.

McCoy planned to stay at his mom's place in Atlanta for the next week. While his mom had seemed glad to host him, his daughter had not seemed terribly enthusiastic to see him. Or perhaps that was just because it was very late at night when he had told Joanna the news. He hoped it was the latter.

As for his sister Donna, he knew she and her family often visited his mom this time of year. While he sent her birthday greetings and she did so in return, the two of them were not as close as they had been before she left for college. He'd never actually met her husband Fred, his nephew Thomas, or his niece Linda in person. Though he knew what they looked like as Donna had sent him a family photo of them on his last birthday. He'd like to meet them all, but he was a little nervous at the same time. Thomas was nine and Linda was seven, which meant they were bound to be energetic and possibly noisy. Donna claimed they were both well behaved. But then he suspected his mom had said the same of him and Donna, and he knew there were times they had not been well behaved as kids.

When it came to his extended family, his grandparents on both sides of his family were now dead. He wasn't close to his three uncles and two aunts, except for his uncle Jeffrey. Jeffrey's wife Betsy had died last year. The two of them had never been close, but he knew that his uncle had loved her. For that reason alone he'd felt bad for missing the funeral and had told his mom to pass on his condolences. There was so much he had missed while in space, but it was moments like that when he wished he could be there for people he cared about that were the hardest things to deal with. He'd had a good talk with Lieutenant Sulu about that a week after he'd learned of the funeral. That conversation had convinced him that even despite the danger and death that the exploration of space sometimes entailed, the risk was usually worth it.

He was glad he'd come back safe and sound from the five year mission, McCoy thought as he pulled into the driveway of his mom's house and then parked the hover car. He grabbed his duffle bag then climbed out of the hover car and locked it. Then McCoy took a deep breath and walked toward the door. He'd done that a thousand times or more but somehow the familiar sight of his childhood home felt more monumental after all this time away. He dismissed the thought then pressed the door chime. A moment later, the door opened and he saw the familiar figure of his mom Eleanora. She smiled at him then gestured for him to step inside.

"Come in Leonard. It's good to see you again." she stated. After he had walked inside she wrapped her arms around him. He patted her back, a little startled at the embrace. She didn't linger but pulled away relatively quickly and looked him in the eyes.

"Oh, don't look at me like that sweetheart. You're never too old for a hug. Now follow me and we'll get you settled in your old room. Joanna is staying in Donna's old room. Speaking of your sister, she and her family are coming over here tomorrow for lunch so I hope you get a good sleep tonight." his mom stated as he hung up his coat and took his shoes off.

"I take it Thomas and Linda are energetic?" he asked as he followed her up the stairs to his childhood bedroom. The walls had been repainted since he had last been inside the room, but he recognized the desk and the bed. He set down his duffle bag by the door then followed his mom down the hallway.

"Yes, you can say that again. They're good kids though." Eleanora said. She knocked loudly on the bedroom door that had once belonged to Donna.

"Joanna, your father is here. Come say hello." she called out loudly. There was no reply and his mom sighed.

"Joanna's probably on that enhanced reality unit again. I swear she has spent hours on that device since Pamela gave it to her for her birthday. I don't care what anyone says, interacting with that much video can't be good for your brain." his mom declared.

Before he could ask what she was meant, she opened the door and strode into the room. Joanna had on a thick set of black goggles strapped to her head and wore thick black gloves on her hands. She seemed to be making the motions of swimming, which looked strange considering she wore jeans and a tight green sweater. Then he looked at his daughter closer. Was that lipstick she had on? Yeah it was, he realized. Eleanora came up to Joanna and grasped her shoulder.

"Joanna, turn off that thing. Your dad is here." she stated loudly. Joanna stopped.

"What? Video off." she stated. A moment later Joanna took off the goggles and gloves then placed them aside on the nightstand.

"So you're back then." Joanna concluded as she turned to look at him.

"Yeah. Come here and give me a hug Joanna." he requested. She crossed her arms over her chest which drew his attention to her nail polish. He now noticed that she was wearing eyeshadow too. None of her makeup was glitzy or overdone, but he was a little taken aback that she was wearing any at all as he never seen her do so before.

"No. I'm not your baby girl anymore. Those days are long gone. Let's go to the living room shall we?" she replied. Before either he or Eleanora could respond, Joanna quickly strode out of the room. Eleanora looked at him sympathetically then followed her out of the room. When they all sat down in the living room, the silence between them was tense for a long moment before Joanna spoke again.

"So dad, are you going to be heading out into space again?" she asked.

"Yes. Right now, the Enterprise A has an six month retrofit at Space Dock. During that time I will be assigned to the Starfleet Medical Hospital in San Francisco. I asked to stay longer then that on Earth, but instead Starfleet Command assigned me to the Enterprise A on another five year mission." he explained. Joanna sighed.

"Well that doesn't surprise me. After all, I've been looking after myself for years." she replied.

"Joanna! You know both your father and mother love you." protested Eleanora.

"Yeah, but not enough. I'm going outside to get some air." Joanna stated.

"It's cold out there." Eleanora warned her. The weather was colder then the Enterprise, but it was only a little cooler then normal for a Georgia winter evening.

"That's what my boots and jacket are for." Joanna stated then she turned and left the room. McCoy stood up once the door had closed behind her.

"I should…" he began, but was stopped by his mom as she raised a hand.

"Sit down Leonard." Eleanora stated. He sighed then sat down heavily again.

"I know I haven't been the world's best father to Joanna. Hell, not even close. It's hard to stay connected when all you have are monthly video comms and letters. That's not an excuse, but it is an explanation. I expected to come back to find that Joanna had changed, but she's a virtual stranger to me mom. Now I'm not sure if she even wants to get to know me again." McCoy said quietly.

"Give her time Leonard. Joanna needs to get to know you again as well. I know it's been over ten years since your divorce, but you don't get over something like that overnight. I'm not going to call Pamela names because I know you two loved each other once. But you know that saying about marry in haste, repent at leisure? I think that describes you and Pamela. Joanna was closer to you then Pamela before the divorce, and she has a lot in common with you both in looks and personality. Maybe that reminded Pamela of you and that's the reason that Pamela really never got to know Joanna that well after the divorce."

"Pamela has made sure that Joanna has everything she needed for a good education, to stay healthy, and for her to find hobbies she liked. There was always enough credits to make sure Joanna never lacked for anything. But emotionally, Pamela turned to Edward for support after the divorce. After he left her two years later, Pamela had a succession of lovers. So it's been left to me and Joanna's friends to be there for her. That's why Joanna now has the idea that she can't rely on either you or Pamela for much emotionally." his mom explained. McCoy closed his eyes briefly. He wasn't surprised to hear that but her description of the situation was what he had most feared to return to.

"Maybe you're right about my marriage to Pamela being hasty. After all, our relationship was a bit of a whirlwind. It was only ten months after our first meeting when I treated her for an ice-cream headache that Pamela and I married. Then Joanna came along eleven months later. But then once Pamela went back to work a month after giving birth, I think both of us felt we had to work longer hours to provide for Joanna. That gradually meant we drifted apart because we didn't make time for each other as our careers went in different directions. Eventually she turned to Edward rather then me. Dad's death didn't help matters either." McCoy reflected.

"Whatever happens now, Joanna will still be your daughter no matter how old she gets Leonard." stated Eleanora.

"Yeah. I suppose I just have to get to know Joanna again. If she'll let me in again that is." McCoy realized.

"Do you regret joining Starfleet?" his mom wondered.

"No. Even if I had stayed on Earth after the divorce, Pamela still would have had full custody. But clearly Joanna still resents me for our limited communication and doesn't want to spend time with her father…" McCoy trailed off bitterly.

"No, she doesn't resent you Leonard. You didn't see how eager Joanna was to hear from you during the Academy. Or how scared she was that you had also died when she heard that the Enterprise had been close to Vulcan when it was destroyed. You're Joanna's father Leonard. Even though you haven't been around as much as you would have liked, I've known other men that were far worse fathers to their children." Eleanora concluded.

"Thanks mom. But it's clear Joanna and I still have fences to mend. You know, I think I'm going to go to bed now. Good night." McCoy stated. He quickly left the living room for his bedroom. He wasn't that tired but he would find something to do until he fell asleep, McCoy decided.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

The next day, McCoy pushed aside his lunch of spaghetti and meatballs and looked at Joanna, who sat opposite around him at the kitchen table. His mom sat beside him while Donna and her family also sat around the table.

"Joanna, let's go to the botanical gardens in Athens Georgia this afternoon." McCoy suggested. Joanna looked up at him.

"Why?" she wondered. He frowned.

"Because I want to spend time with you Joanna." he told her.

"Well, I have better things to do then walk around and look at plants with you. There's a book my friend recommended that I wanted to read on my PADD. Excuse me." Joanna replied then stood from the table. She turned to go but was stopped by his mom's voice.

"Joanna, please give your father a chance. He just wants to get to know you again." his mom stated.

"If that's the case, then he should have made more of an effort since the divorce." Joanna replied.

"Joanna, I fought hard for joint custody. But the judge decided otherwise." McCoy explained. Joanna turned around to face him and then folded her arms over her torso.

"For God's sake dad! I'm not a bone to be fought over between two dogs but you and mom sure acted like it during the divorce. I was just a kid at the time but I can still remember the fighting." she snapped.

"I'm sorry you had to overhear that sweetheart. Look, if you don't want to go to the gardens then you don't have to. But if you do want to talk or do anything else, then I'll be here." McCoy said.

"Yeah, until you fly away into space again. So why bother?" Joanna asked. Before he could reply she turned and left the room.

"Dammit." McCoy swore.

"Mom, I'm going for a walk. I'll be back soon." he continued as he stood up.

"Do you still know your way around the neighbourhood?" Eleanora wondered.

"Well enough." McCoy stated. Then he quickly left the room.

"Wait Leonard. I'll come with you." his sister said as she walked alongside him. He turned his head to look at her.

"Donna, I'm not really in the mood for company." he informed her.

"I know, which is why I'll be quiet. But I would like to stretch my legs too." she replied.

"Fine." he allowed. The two of them got on shoes and coats then headed out the door. True to her word his sister remained quiet on the walk. The neighbourhood looked quite a bit different then he remembered, but there was the odd house or other building he recognized from before he had started at the Academy. I suppose everything changes over time, he thought. Sometimes for the better and other times for the worse. Once McCoy felt he'd calmed down enough, he headed back to the house. The two of them removed their shoes and jackets then rejoined the others in the living room.

"Did the two of you have a good walk?" asked his brother in law Fred.

"It was fine. So where's Joanna?" McCoy wanted to know as he looked around the room and didn't see his daughter there.

"Joanna is still in her room. You know what you need Leonard?" his mom said.

"What?" he asked her.

"One of my friends at the quilting group I attend every week has a lovely daughter about your age who is single…" she began. His raised hand stopped her from finishing that sentence.

"Mom, I don't need you to set me up with anyone." he insisted.

"Why not? You've got a lot to offer a woman Leonard." Donna stated.

"I'm already married." McCoy admitted. Donna blinked and his mother raised both eyebrows.

"Well this is the first I've heard of it. So who is your wife and why didn't you bring her to meet us?" Eleanora demanded.

"I didn't bring Natira to meet you because she's busy with her work. She's the Fabrini high priestess, which is what they call their leader. She has a duty to serve her people just like I have a duty to Starfleet as a doctor." McCoy explained.

"So I take it this Natira is still drifting through space while you remain on Earth for now?" Donna asked.

"Natira lives with the other Fabrini on Daran Four. But we've arranged to meet in person once I return to San Francisco. She's coming to open the Fabrini Embassy in that city. Natira said she'll try to visit me as much as possible though it probably won't be that often." McCoy told them.

"So you're in a long distance marriage?" his mom clarified.

"Yes I am. It's not ideal but we both understand that our work comes first." McCoy replied.

"Yes, anyone who has met you quickly finds that out." Donna remarked.

"Donna!" his mom protested. Donna folded her arms over her chest.

"I'm not apologizing because what I said is true. Leonard, even if this is the longest romantic relationship you've had since the divorce I don't want to see you hurt again. Sooner or later this Natira will do that." his sister claimed.

"Donna, Natira is not the type to have an affair like Pamela." he firmly declared.

"Let's hope not. Speaking of your ex wife, were you aware that Pamela is engaged now?" Eleanora replied. He raised an eyebrow at that news.

"So who is Pamela's fiancé then?" McCoy snapped bitterly.

"Matthew works for some pharmaceutical firm on the board of directors. He offered to tour me around his house once, and the only thing I recognized was that piece of Vulcan art that Pamela took in the divorce that your father never liked. That's how I knew they were living together you know. Pamela didn't tell me directly." Eleanora explained.

"Of course not. So when is this Matthew fellow planning to show up next?" he wondered.

"If you're so interested Leonard, both Pamela and Matthew are planning to come to dinner tomorrow. Donna and her family will be staying for that as well." his mom informed him.

"Then maybe I'll go out for dinner on my own." McCoy suggested. He really didn't want to meet either Pamela or this Matthew man.

"Please don't. I'd prefer not to spend another meal alone with Matthew, because I can't stand him. I suspect that the only reason Joanna likes him is because he gives her nice things while all she gets from you are video calls and letters." Eleanora said.

"I'm Joanna's father dammit! I won't be usurped by Pamela's fiancé." McCoy declared firmly. Matthew was welcome to Pamela as far as he was concerned, but not Joanna.

"I don't want you to be Leonard. So while you are here, spend as much time as you can with Joanna. Tomorrow night, you can demonstrate to Matthew that you'll always know Joanna better then he could ever hope to. Speaking of dinner, I should get started on some." his mom stated.

"Can I help?" he offered. Before she could reply Linda walked up to Donna and held up a piece of paper.

"Mom, look at what I drew while you were out walking with uncle Leonard." she said. Donna looked at the picture then smiled at her daughter.

"That's very nice. Is this a gift for your uncle Leonard?" Donna asked.

"Yes. He gave me a gift so I wanted to get him something too. Here." Linda stated then thrust the paper toward him. McCoy took the paper and then looked at it. On the paper was a drawing of a green and blue circle that was labelled Earth with stick figures of Eleanora and Joanna. Beside that was another circle that was brown and green labelled Cerberus with stick figures of her family. In the sky above both Earth and Cerberus, there was an outline of the Enterprise with three stick figures of Jim, Spock, and himself on what he could only assume was meant to be a bridge. All in all it wasn't a bad drawing for a child, McCoy thought.

"Well, thank you very much Linda. I'll put this up in my quarters on the ship so that anyone who visits will see it." he promised her. She smiled at him as did Donna.

"Thanks. Now come on mom, Thomas wanted you to see the model of the starship that uncle Leonard gave him. He's been working on it since you left for that walk." Linda said.

"If you'll excuse me…" Donna declared, then left the two of them alone as she followed Linda.

"So Leonard I hope you haven't lost your touch for setting a table? I'll synthesize us some beans with chicken and dumplings." Eleanora replied as they walked towards the kitchen.

"That sounds good." McCoy responded as he placed Linda's picture on the board above the matter recycler. He'd make sure to take that with him before he left but he didn't want to lose it. He had just finished doing so when Joanna entered the kitchen.

"Is dinner ready yet?" Joanna wanted to know.

"In about twenty minutes Joanna. Why don't you put that PADD away and go wash your hands?" Eleanora said.

"All right grandma." Joanna replied. Perhaps it was because he hadn't heard his mom being referred to by that name before, but McCoy suddenly realized how much older his mom seemed since he had left on the five year mission. Eleanora still had a full head of grey hair and she seemed unchanged in her personality. But McCoy now noticed that she moved slower and had a lot more lines and wrinkles on her face and hands. She'd also gained about ten pounds from what he could recall of the last time he'd seen her right before the five year mission started.

"I'm fine Doctor McCoy. Save your medical scanner for those who need it." Eleanora responded to his silent scrutiny.

"How did you know I was thinking of your health just now?" McCoy wondered.

"Because you had a certain look about you that told me you were checking for injury or change since you've seen me last. It's the same look your father had when he was assessing patients." his mom explained.

"Really? I never realized that. The only time he ever healed me directly was when I broke my arm as a kid falling out of that peach tree in the front yard." McCoy responded.

"I did warn you that you shouldn't climb that high, but you wanted to see how the world looked like from higher up." she recalled.

"It was about the same, at least until I fell. But other then that one time I avoided dad's med kit." he said. She nodded and they fell into silence until dinner was served.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The next evening after Donna and her family had returned to their hotel, the three of them sat outside on the porch. His mom sat beside him on the bench while Joanna took a seat beside her on a chair. It was a clear evening and it didn't look like it would rain as it had for the last two nights. There was silence between them for some time before Joanna stood and peered off to the distance.

"Do either of you know anyone who would ride a motorcycle? Or at least I think that's what that is, because a hover car doesn't leave a trail like that…" Joanna said as she pointed to the east. McCoy rose and looked in the direction she pointed.

"It could be Jim. I told you he might be coming, didn't I mom?" McCoy stated. She nodded. As the figure approached, McCoy's suspicions were confirmed when Jim stopped a motorbike on the other side of his hover car then walked closer to all of them.

"Hi Bones. You must be Eleanora McCoy and you're Joanna McCoy. I'm Jim Kirk. It's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance ladies." Jim introduced himself. Both his mom and daughter shook Jim's hand.

"We've never met before Captain Kirk, but I've heard a lot about you. Leonard said you might drop by at some point. I suppose you want to stay for a few days? I do have a guest room free." Eleanora replied.

"Well, I'd like that Mrs McCoy. Thank you for the offer. Bones, sorry it's taken me this long to get out here. I wanted to get away to see you earlier. But after the debriefings, my mom insisted that we go out for dinner. Then I got buried under a mountain of paperwork that I just finished this afternoon. But I suppose that's what happens when you've been assigned to work at Starfleet Operations." Jim responded.

"They put you to work at Starfleet Operations during the retrofit Jim? I don't know whether to congratulate you or check on the mental health of Admiral Nogura for that." McCoy replied.

"Well, since you two clearly want to talk alone I think it's time for us ladies to say good night. Breakfast will be at eight o clock tomorrow morning, and if you're late it will be cold. Good night Leonard, Captain." his mom replied. Then she turned to go inside.

"Good night dad, Mr Kirk." replied Joanna as she followed her grandmother inside. McCoy gestured toward the bench on the patio and both men sat down.

"So why are you really out here Jim? You didn't drive from San Francisco to Atlanta on a motorbike just to catch up did you?" McCoy asked.

"I don't like being behind a desk Bones. From what Scotty said, the Enterprise A will be ready in six months. But he also said those estimates are always usually the best guess of the engineers more then anything else." Jim answered.

"My entire med bay will be different. I know what engineers are like." McCoy complained.

"So then you're coming with us on the next mission?" Jim confirmed.

"Yes. I've been ordered to come with you on the next five year mission, God help me." McCoy replied.

"Good. After all, if Mr Sulu can leave his husband and daughter behind on Yorktown, then you can do the same with your mom and daughter on Earth." Jim reasoned.

"Jim, do you not understand how hard that is for Lieutenant Sulu and how much he misses Ben and Demora? I've been the one who has been gone for years. Eleanora, Joanna, and I are still finding our feet again after that. I'll go back into space with you and the crew again but not without misgivings. Speaking of going into space, how many new crew members on the Enterprise are we going to have other then my two new medical staff?" McCoy wondered.

"Other then your new medical staff, we will have six other new crew members. Ensign Harper was transferred to Jupiter Station. Ensign Wong was transferred to Starfleet Science and his husband Ensign Henderson has been transferred to Starfleet Command. Lieutenant Yates has gotten married to her boyfriend Lieutenant Parker so they will both be serving on the USS Olympia once the repairs to that ship are complete in a month's time. Lieutenant Commander Giotto has accepted a teaching position at Starfleet Academy and promoted Lieutenant Umal to act as head of security with a promotion to lieutenant commander. Crewman S'nell resigned her field commission and went to work at the United States Institute of Exobiology. The rest of the crew is going back into space with us." Jim explained.

"I see." McCoy replied. He had mixed feelings about not continuing to serve alongside S'nell.

"Are you going to miss S'nell Bones?" Jim asked.

"Yeah but it's for the best. Now S'nell can focus on her career and find someone else who will be able to reciprocate her feelings." McCoy replied.

"Both of us know that's not the issue here." Jim told him.

"Jim, I told you that I won't turn into Pamela. I can't- I won't do that to Natira." McCoy insisted.

"You still care about Natira then?" Jim wondered.

"Of course I do. I wouldn't have married her otherwise. My feelings toward Natira weren't all because of my fatal illness." McCoy stated.

"Right. I just don't want this love triangle of yours to end badly." Jim told him.

"Well, so far so good. Now we should both get some sleep." McCoy said.

"All right. Good night Bones." Jim replied.

"Good night Jim. Let me show you to your room." McCoy stated. The two of them stood up then entered the house. McCoy made sure to lock the door behind them before they went upstairs.

The next evening they took Eleanora's hover car to go into Atlanta to watch a basketball game of the Atlanta Hawks. McCoy was accompanied by Jim, Joanna, Donna, and Fred. Thomas and Linda had stayed at home with his mom, who really wasn't a basketball fan.

"So Joanna, how did you get tickets to this game? I didn't know you were a basketball fan like Bones." said Jim.

"Oh, I got a season pass for my birthday last year from Matthew. Frankly I don't care for anything else he's given me. But I liked the tickets. Don't worry aunt Donna, I know the tickets were only given to me to win mom over. It's not like Matthew actually cares about me. But I pretend that I care about him when mom's around otherwise I'd never hear the end of it." Joanna replied.

"So you don't like Matthew either then Joanna." McCoy said.

"No, the man's pompous and condescending. I mean, look at how he treated Linda's drawing that she had given to dad at dinner. There was no need to insult her like that." Joanna responded.

"You're right Joanna. No one insults my children and gets away with it." Donna stated.

"Yeah I thought that was rude too. So then what does Pamela see in Matthew?" Fred wanted to know.

"Matthew has a lot of credits. That's indirectly how he and mom met three years ago. She was at a fundraiser for the theatre in Atlanta that she has a subscription to and he was one of the donors at the event. I guess the alcohol they were drinking that night did the rest. Though I'm sure that the authentic diamond bracelet he gave mom on their first anniversary helped too. The only reason I haven't shoved Matthew's gifts in the matter recycler is to avoid a fight with mom who likes what he gives her. I swear the moment I can move into a dorm at university to get away from them I will." Joanna explained.

"Well, it's only a few more months until that happens. Are you excited Joanna?" Donna wondered.

"You know I am. Though I will miss grandma and your family aunt Donna." Joanna replied. I bet Joanna won't miss me, McCoy thought.

"I'll miss you too sweetheart. But my comm line is always open if you want to talk. Just remember the time difference between here and Cerberus." Donna replied.

"So you're going to nursing school then Joanna?" Jim asked.

"Yeah, I'm going to Ole Miss this fall. Hey, if you're interested once I get settled in I'll track down dad's graduation photo from Ole Miss and send it to you Mr Kirk." Joanna answered.

"Call me Jim and we have a deal." his best friend stated. McCoy shot Jim a glare.

"Don't you dare Joanna." he warned his daughter.

"Why dad? Are you frowning or something in that photo?" Joanna wondered.

"Not at all. But your mom thought my smile looked more like a grimace." McCoy admitted.

"Pamela had a point about that Leonard. You'd just graduated from medical school. You could have looked more excited to become a doctor." Donna stated.

"I still had to pass the Georgia Medical Association accreditation test, take the Hippocratic Oath, then find a job before I became a practising doctor Donna." McCoy reminded her.

"Those were formalities given how easily you managed to do all of them and settle down to work in the hospital in Atlanta." Donna responded.

"Maybe so. So Joanna, who are the Atlanta Hawks playing tonight?" McCoy changed the subject.

"They are playing the Miami Heat tonight." Joanna said.

"Then this game should be pretty evenly matched." Fred stated.

"Do you follow basketball Fred?" McCoy asked.

"Donna's told me a few things about some of the teams in the NBA, but I don't tend to watch the games. I'm more of a baseball guy myself if I watch sports at all." Fred explained.

"In my opinion baseball consists of men standing around in a field and occasionally throwing or hitting a ball. My friend Cheryl claims that's the only reason to watch the game. But then she'd say that considering her boyfriend Josh is the short stop of the high school baseball team."

"I normally wouldn't have spent time with her, but we were paired together on a biology project in class two months ago. Cheryl was pretty smart, though my marks are better then hers in that class. I improved her grade with the project and in return she taught me how to wear makeup. I know you don't approve of it dad but I'm old enough to wear some. I've never done it around mom though. She warned me not to wear anything aside from nail polish before my eighteenth birthday. So she'd freak out if she knew I wore more then that." Joanna explained.

"Your secret is safe with me Joanna." he stated.

"Thanks dad." his daughter replied. They were silent the rest of the way to the arena and while they found their seats. The game started shortly afterwards and McCoy turned his attention to it. At half time, the Atlanta Hawks were ahead much to his delight.

"Bones, can you go and get us some food and something to drink?" requested Jim.

"Fine. What does everyone want from the food synthesizer?" McCoy asked. Everyone told him and then he made his way out of the room and walked to the room where the food synthesizers stood against one wall. He picked a line that seemed the shortest and began to wait. After a moment, it occurred to him that the woman in front of him in the line looked somewhat familiar. He cleared his throat and she turned her head to look around the room. She paused when she saw him and turned fully around.

"Well I'll be damned. It's Christina Wilson isn't it?" wondered McCoy as he looked at his first girlfriend who had agreed very gracefully in his opinion.

"If it isn't Leonard McCoy. Actually, it's not Wilson anymore. It's Stevenson now." she responded.

"Then where is your husband?" McCoy wondered. She had a wedding ring on but there was no sign of a man who knew her close by.

"Oh, he's not that big of a sports fan. So I'm here with our son Henry. John is probably in his map room." Christina stated.

"Map room?" McCoy asked, deciding not to address the fact that she had a son.

"John is a stellar cartographer who publishes navigational charts from data that civilian pilots bring to him. Many of those maps are used by cargo vessels, tourists, colony ships, and civilian scientists. I don't know if they are as accurate as Starfleet navigational charts but those aren't available in the public records. So someone has to map the galaxy for the rest of us." Christina explained.

"I suppose you're right." McCoy stated. Though that wasn't a subject he had given much thought to before now.

"So I heard you became a doctor which didn't surprise me. Though I was surprised that you'd enlisted in Starfleet." Christina changed the subject.

"Well, I had nowhere else to go at the time." he told her.

"Let me guess. You had just been through a bad divorce?" Christina speculated.

"How did you know that?" he wondered.

"Leonard, you are still easy on the eyes. But you weren't always easy to get along with when we were dating in high school. I doubt that much has changed." she replied.

"Not really." he admitted.

"Did you have any children with your ex wife?" Christina asked.

"Yes. I have a daughter Joanna." McCoy said.

"I see." she said then looked around the room again. She was now the first in the line for the food synthesizer.

"Well, it's been good to see you again but I should get some food for Henry and I. Take care of yourself Leonard." she concluded.

"You too Christina." he responded. She quickly ordered hot dogs and pop then it was his turn. He ordered what everyone wanted, put it on a tray, then wandered back through the crowd to his group.

"Took you long enough Bones. Was there a long lineup at the food synthesizer?" wondered Jim as he passed out the food and drink.

"No, but I ran into an old flame of mine and we got to talking. Sorry about that." McCoy apologized as he sat back down again.

"So you met Christina Stevenson? What did you think of her?" Donna wondered after drinking some of her pop.

"How did you know that Christina was the old flame I met Donna?" McCoy wanted to know.

"Because Emory Dax was a Trill and she went back to her home planet after your summer romance ended. As for Nancy Bierce she married someone else and went off planet with him. Those were the only girlfriends you had before Pamela. If it was someone after your divorce then they were likely in Starfleet. So they were less likely to be here tonight then in San Francisco." Donna explained.

"Fair enough." McCoy said. He began to eat his snack. A few moments later the basketball game resumed and he returned his attention to the court.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"Well that was a good lunch mom. Do you need any help in clearing away the leftovers?" McCoy offered as they sat around the kitchen table.

"No. Leave the food. Eleanora, take Thomas and Linda out of this room now. Jim and Joanna, you will follow them. Do not question me or protest, just do it." Fred said with a note of insistent command in his voice that McCoy had never heard from him before.

"But…" Thomas protested.

"Thomas Neil Withers, you will leave this room now or I will confiscate all your toys and not allow you to play with them for the next month. Nod if that's clear." Fred commanded his son firmly. Thomas nodded an instant later. Eleanora swiftly guided Thomas and Linda out of the room. Joanna and Jim quickly left as well. Jim shot a glance at Donna as he left. She was staring at the food with wide eyes and had gone completely still.

Before McCoy could react to that, Fred stood beside his wife. He turned her chair to face him. Then Fred placed a firm hand on Donna's left shoulder and lifted her face to look at him with his right hand. A moment later, he began to count down from one hundred and made sure to clearly announce each number out loud. It only took a few numbers as well as Donna's unseeing eyes and rigid stance for McCoy to realize what was happening. Dammit, his sister was having a flashback. There was no hyposprays that worked on such traumatic memories, but some psychologists thought being grounded by touch and sound to the present could lessen the severity of them. But what could have triggered such a memory in the first place?

McCoy's eyes went to the large amount of food still left on the table and finally the answer came to him. He closed his eyes as he realized the crop failure that happened on Cerberus in 2259 was likely much worse then what the Federation News Service had told everyone. They had likely been so eager to paint Carter Winston as a hero that they had downplayed the suffering of the colonists. He knew that Cerberus hadn't been as bad as Tarsus Four. Unlike Tarsus Four, there was no genocide and no one had died on Cerberus. Even so, the experience had to have been deeply traumatic for it to resonate years later. But then such mental wounds didn't heal in the same fashion as physical ones and didn't always lessen with time either. McCoy pulled himself back to the present when he realized Fred had finished the countdown of numbers and Donna looked slightly more alert.

"Look at me, Donna Lee Withers. How many fingers am I holding up?" Fred wanted to know as he held a hand in front of her face.

"Ah, three fingers." Donna replied as she blinked rapidly.

"Where are we right now in this moment?" Fred asked.

"Right now, we are on the planet of Earth, the country of the United States of America, the state of Georgia, the city of Atlanta, the house of Eleanora McCoy, and I am sitting in her kitchen." Donna replied.

"Yes you are. What Stardate is it today?" Fred asked.

"Stardate 2266.12." Donna replied with more certainty.

"Who am I?" Fred asked.

"My loving yet exasperating husband Fred." Donna said fondly.

"Good. Come here dear." Fred helped Donna to stand and then gave her a long and tight hug. She returned his embrace and closed her eyes as she did so. Fred didn't let go until Donna did which seemed like a long time to Leonard. Then Fred leaned down and the two of them touched foreheads as they gazed into each other's eyes.

At that intimacy McCoy looked away. Somehow that felt even more private then if he'd stumbled onto them kissing. He'd never really paid much attention to the fact that Donna was married before he'd come to Georgia. That was because Donna rarely mentioned Fred in detail. But it was clear they loved each other and McCoy was glad his sister had someone in her life like that. His attention was brought back to his sister and brother in law when they pulled away from each other slightly.

"Now, why don't you go for a walk outside to get some air Donna? I'll be here right in this room when you get back." Fred said as he still held his wife around the waist.

"Do you promise?" Donna said as her arms were still around his shoulders.

"Yes, and you know how I feel about promises." Fred said softly.

"I do Fred." Donna said firmly. Without looking at McCoy, she pulled away from Fred then swiftly left the room. Donna made sure to close the kitchen door behind her. Fred waited until she had left before he turned and looked at Leonard. His brother in law seemed to have aged a decade just in the last five minutes as he sat down heavily beside McCoy.

"Are you sure you want to know what that was about Leonard?" Fred asked.

"I'm not sure if I want to know, but for Donna's sake I think that I need to." McCoy stated quietly.

"Yes, perhaps it is time to tell you the full story. But what I'm about to say stays between us Leonard. Never mention this to anyone under any circumstances. Please treat this entire conversation as if I am your patient and you are my doctor. Is that clear?" Fred insisted.

"Yes. I promise I won't tell a soul Fred." McCoy replied.

"Very well. You see, on the anniversary of the crop failure on Cerberus every year, Donna has flashbacks to that time and I have nightmares about it. We've both seen a therapist and it's gotten better for both of us. But still, everyone that was there during the crop failure on Cerebrus in 2259 will never forget it." Fred quietly said.

"I understand." McCoy said.

"You don't Leonard, because you weren't there. It could have been much worse and it would have been if Carter Winston hadn't arrived when he did." Fred stated.

"Donna never went into detail about Cerberus. All the Federation News Service said was that there was a crop failure and Carter Winston was some hero who swooped in to save the colony. But what really happened? It must have been worse then that." McCoy wondered.

"Mr Winston never wanted to be seen as a hero, but merely a philanthropist. All those supplies he gave the colony were from his own ship. But there's no denying he saved everyone's life. We were starving to death, all four hundred of us." Fred said plainly.

"So how long did the emergency rations of the colony last?" McCoy asked. Fred sighed before he began to speak again.

"The emergency food rations lasted three weeks for everyone and the emergency water supply lasted for a month. Then there was nothing left. Mr Winston didn't arrive at Cerberus until five days after the water was all gone. He was the first one to respond to our distress signal. Starfleet didn't arrive until a week after that and they told him they had no idea of the situation. They were only there because they were making their annual stop to check on the colony. But don't get me started on blaming Starfleet for this incident when you're a member of that organization."

"Leonard, you've seen how energetic Thomas is. He's always running or jumping around. He was only two at the time of the crop failure and so he was too young to remember anything. As for Linda, she wasn't her curious or smiling self at all. Linda was a newborn at the time of the crop failure, so thankfully she remembers nothing either."

"But I remember that Donna's breast milk dried up two days after the rations were gone. That wouldn't have been so bad except for the fact that the doctors had ran out of baby formula a day before and Linda was too young for nutrient hyposprays. Have you ever seen the face of a mother that can't feed her children and who knows she might have to watch them both slowly die while she can't do a thing about it? Donna blamed herself for that but I felt just as guilty." Fred paused and cleared his throat before he continued speaking.

"Unfortunately it didn't end there. At the time of the crop failure I was working as one of the security guards for the governor. He'd given all his private stores to the colonists and had given a rallying speech on the last day we had water, but the governor also knew that help might not be coming in time. Perhaps he should have spent the time with the colonists in the community hall, but instead he stayed in his house blaming himself for not having put weather control satellites in place."

"When the colony became operational in 2255, the Federation had insisted the satellites weren't necessary. The governor had believed them because he was hardly an expert in environmental science. We had only one colonist who was an expert in environmental science, and he had always insisted that weather control satellites should be in place because of the weather patterns in the oceans. So when the hurricane did come ashore and destroyed all our crops this colonist was proven right. Even though he was as horrified as us all at the ramifications of that storm."

"The day after our water ran out, this colonist spoke with some of the other adults and convinced them to march on the governor's house. They wanted to find someone to punish and hold responsible for what had happened and he was the obvious target. I was concerned they wouldn't listen to reason and informed the other security guards we had to protect the governor. They agreed, not wanting to see violence either."

"So I and the rest of the guards got there before the colonists did. As I suspected, no one in the crowd would listen to any of us and insisted on speaking to the governor. I voiced my objections to him doing so along with two other guards, but the governor insisted on facing the angry crowd himself. The governor couldn't calm the crowd who were desperate. I saw one of them, the teenage son of the environmental scientist, pick up a sharp rock to throw it and I just reacted. Without thinking I stepped in front of the governor and took the hit in his place. The rock punctured my lung and so I fell to the ground and started coughing up blood. Everyone in the crowd was shocked for a moment then moved away when the other guards threatened to stun the crowd with their phasers."

"Fortunately the doctor managed to stop the bleeding and put me on some old fashioned ventilator. But I nearly died of blood loss during the surgery. After that surgery I couldn't be a security guard any longer as I didn't have the aerobic fitness that I used to. Hell, I couldn't even run after Thomas any more without being winded. So I moved to tactical analysis work instead."

"As for the governor, he resigned and took his own life on the way back to Earth. The governor escaped from the Starfleet detention cell he was being held in on the ship and used a phaser from the armory set to kill on himself. After that the Federation wanted to appoint another governor or at least have a list of candidates the colonists would choose from. But everyone insisted that we have free and fair elections for the next governor from the colonists themselves. Well, that's all I want to say about Cerberus. I won't ever talk about the crop failure again."

"But Leonard, you should talk to Donna about about all of this. I don't know many of the details about why the two of you were estranged but I saw what effect that had on Donna. I doubt either of you talked about why that happened, how this absence between the two of you felt, or why she was so eager to reconcile with you. Now might be a good time to talk about that." Fred concluded.

There was a knock on the kitchen door before Leonard could reply. He was still reeling from everything that Fred had told him. So when Fred opened the door to reveal Donna who was pale and had recent tear marks on her face, McCoy didn't hesitate to stand up and wrap her in a tight hug.

"Donna. I'm sorry, so sorry." McCoy said as he held his sister and she returned his tight embrace. McCoy was barely aware of Fred as he closed the kitchen door behind the two of them. Donna clung to him and it seemed like minutes before either of them let the other go. Despite everything that had happened between them Donna was still his sister and he'd always love her. Once they had separated Donna guided him to sit on a chair and then placed her hand on top of his own.

"So Fred told you everything about the crop failure on Cerberus huh?" Donna softly said.

"Yeah. That must have been…" McCoy said.

"It was hell. Or at least that's what it felt like. Leonard, you're not the only one who's sorry. I owe you an apology for how I reacted over David's death." Donna quietly replied.

"No you don't Donna." McCoy instantly responded. Donna turned to face him with a fierce expression before she spoke.

"Stop right there, Leonard Horatio McCoy! You are going to shut up and let me say this all now or I never will. I know I called you a murderer when I discovered you had given dad the hypospray that killed him. But that's because I was furious. Not at you but at the pyrrhoneuritis itself. That we still have incurable diseases in the twenty third century, never mind slow acting and painful ones, wasn't something that I wanted to accept at the time. So I looked for someone to blame for the death of our father and I choose you. It seemed easier then facing my own feelings of grief and powerlessness over watching him die like that."

"But I made matters worse by not seeing how you took dad's death even harder then me or Eleanora and not realizing that it would lead to the end of your marriage. Look, I've made it clear from day one that I never liked Pamela. But she seemed to make you happy. I could also tell that you loved Joanna and I thought you were a great father to her. So I put my misgivings about Pamela aside. When I heard that you had started drinking heavily after dad's death I knew Pamela wouldn't be able to handle it for long. Neither mom or I liked to see you like that either. So I distanced myself from you even more and I wasn't there for you when it all fell apart. I was equally surprised and relieved when I heard that you entered Starfleet Academy and thought a new start of my own would be beneficial. So when I heard the Federation were looking for colonists for Cerberus a few weeks later I sighed up."

"The first couple of years on the colony were hard but we all got through it. Soon I had Fred and then I had Thomas and Linda. I told myself that if you really wanted to make an effort to get to know me again then you would have shown up at my wedding or acknowledged it at the very least. Or you would have acknowledged Thomas's birth or Linda's. But after she was born and when I still had no contact from you I gave you up. You were a Starfleet officer now. So I thought you had no time for a sister anymore. I figured that the crew of your ship would become your real family."

"I nearly got in touch with you after the destruction of Vulcan and the battle of Earth. Mom pleaded with me that I should talk to you. But I was too stubborn. I still thought that you should make the first move. In reality I was the one who should have apologized first."

"But after what happened with the crop failure none of that mattered anymore. When I thought that I'd never see you again because I was going to die soon I knew I wanted to see if we could mend fences between us. The Starfleet ship that showed up a week after Mr Winston arrived agreed to send messages from the colonists to their families. So I recorded a message and asked it to be passed on to you. Well, you know the rest Leonard." Donna said.

McCoy's mind drifted back to that day. He'd just finished his debriefing at Starfleet Headquarters after the Enterprise had been called back to Earth because of Jim breaking the Prime Directive on Nibiru. McCoy had just left the room where Admiral Barnett had been questioning him and began to walk away. He'd only waked a short distance in the corridor when he heard a voice from behind him.

"Doctor McCoy. Can I have a quick word Lieutenant Commander?" someone called. The use of his rank stopped him. He'd closed his eyes briefly and then turned around.

"What can I… Wait a minute. You're the officer that dragged me to a seat on the shuttle that flew me to Starfleet Academy! What do you want now?" McCoy had realized as she walked closer to him.

"I have an urgent message for you here." his fellow officer had said and then she had extended a data disk to him. He'd taken it from her hand.

"Thanks. Who is this from?" he'd asked.

"The communication is from your sister Donna Withers." she'd replied. At that answer both his eyebrows had risen and he'd nearly dropped the data disk.

"You've got to be kidding me! There's no way in hell she'd contact me." McCoy had cried out in shock.

"Doctor McCoy, I strongly urge you to watch that communication then view the Federation News Service report about Cerberus from fifteen days ago. If you wish to record your own message in return after you have done so then contact me and I will see to it that your message is delivered to Mrs Withers. You can find me in the Starfleet personnel directory under Lieutenant Heather Hill. Now if you'll excuse me sir?" she'd responded.

"Yeah. Dismissed." he'd absently replied. Lieutenant Hill nodded and then hurried away. McCoy had looked at the data disk for a long moment before he had pocketed it and walked back to his temporary quarters. Donna's hand squeezing his brought McCoy back to the present where they both sat in Eleanora's kitchen. He looked at his sister for a long moment.

"I take it you weren't expecting either my communication or what I said, were you Leonard?" Donna said.

"Dammit Donna. I had no idea what that communication would be about and I was shocked that you even wanted to talk to me. The Enterprise had been out of communication range of Earth for some time and we were nowhere near Cerberus. It was only after viewing your message that I watched the Federation News Service reporting and found out about what had happened on Cerberus. After I saw that I recorded a message to you. When you finally responded, well let's just say that I hadn't been so glad to hear from someone in a long time."

"But I knew you wouldn't want to talk about what had happened when the events were still fresh in your mind. Besides, I didn't want to push it when we'd just reconciled after all those years of silence between us. I didn't know Fred and I didn't know how much you had told Eleanora about what had happened. So I just decided to let the matter rest. But now I see I should have said something sooner. Donna, these flashbacks you're having and Fred's nightmares… Are those only on the anniversary?" McCoy replied.

"Yes. That is the only time I think about the crop failure. Most of the time I don't ever think about it and I don't want to. I think what triggered it today was seeing all the large amount of food on the anniversary of when the crop failure started with the hurricane. With all the people here today having lunch it was only natural there would be more food then usual. So my brain went to where that food should go and you saw what happened… Dammit, I probably scared Thomas and Linda. I should go see them to reassure them I'm all right." Donna said.

"Yeah. Are we all right Donna? I mean, between us?" McCoy wondered.

"Yes Leonard. Or would you prefer if I called you three point boy?" Donna teased him with a childhood nickname.

"Only if I can call you peach face in return Donna." McCoy replied, using a childhood nickname for her right back.

"I was five when I got sick from eating too many peaches from the tree in the front yard. What's your excuse Leonard?" Donna wondered as she stood up and released his hand. McCoy also rose.

"I was seven. Oh, and I was so excited that dad had put up a basketball hoop above the garage and given me a ball that I didn't realize how much time I was spending out there practicing until mom told me that I had to finish my report for school." McCoy explained as they walked to the door.

"It's just as well that you went into medicine rather then being a professional basketball player. Otherwise I think both granddad and dad would have had to have a chat with you about the McCoy tradition of medicine." Donna said as she opened the kitchen door to the rest of the house.

"Oh, they both did right before I went off to Ole Miss." McCoy responded as he left the kitchen behind her. They were silent as they entered the living room where everyone else was. Jim sat beside Eleanora on a couch. Linda and Joanna sat on another couch. Fred stood by the window. Thomas sat listlessly in front of a puzzle.

"Mom!" cried Linda and then raced over to Donna. That caused Thomas to look up and stand.

"It's all right, Thomas, Linda." she soothed them both as they hugged her for a brief moment and she returned the embrace. Then she pulled back from them.

"I'm fine. Now Thomas, why don't you show me how far you've gotten along with this puzzle? You're making good progress but I think you might be missing some corners…" Donna continued as she sat down in front of the puzzle and Thomas sat down beside her.

As Thomas looked at the puzzle Linda sat down on the other side of Donna. Donna hugged her daughter close while she continued to look at Thomas as he worked on the puzzle. Fred caught McCoy's eye and gave him a firm nod. McCoy nodded back at his brother in law. McCoy could feel Jim appraising him. He looked at him and shook his head. Then he went to sit down beside Eleanora and Joanna.

"Well it look you long enough Leonard McCoy." his mom said.

"Donna's not the only stubborn one mom." McCoy confessed.

"Don't I know it. I raised two stubborn children and I think Joanna is just as stubborn as both you and Donna." Eleanora replied.

"I don't think I'm as stubborn as dad grandma." his daughter protested.

"Says the child who at the age of three insisted that I put a rope swing on the peach tree in the front yard after you saw a holo of an old fashioned playground. You wouldn't shut up about it for days until I relented. Then the next summer when you bruised your hip after you had fallen from the swing you wouldn't stop complaining about that either." Eleanora proclaimed.

"I remember that. You drove both Pamela and I up that wall with that one Joanna." McCoy mused.

"Now Mrs McCoy, while the children are playing would you like to watch a film?" Jim changed the subject.

"Sure. We'd disturb them in here but we can move to the den. I have a computer screen there that streams entertainment direct from satellite." his mom said as she stood up. While Fred remained with Donna, Thomas, and Linda, the rest of the group headed toward the den following after his mom.

"Unless anyone has any objections, I think we'll just stick to drama which Leonard has always liked." his mom decided.

"That sounds good grandma. If I have to watch another movie that has kissing in it then I'm going to puke. I mean, what's the big deal about that anyway? It's not as if it's nice. Or maybe Greg was just crap at doing that." Joanna said firmly.

"What? You've kissed a boy! Why have you never told me that Joanna?" McCoy cried in shock. Joanna was really growing up fast, he realized.

"Don't worry about it Leonard. I've already dealt with the matter. Just let it rest all right?" his mom insisted.

"Fine. But only if I can meet your next boyfriend Joanna." McCoy replied.

"Oh God. If that's the case then I'm never going to date again until I'm at university. That scowl of yours would scare anyone off." Joanna complained.

"She's got you there Bones." Jim said with a smile.

"Shut up Jim." was his instant response.

"Can we watch a film now?" Eleanora wondered as she sat down and the others did so as well.

"Of course Mrs McCoy. How does this sound, a film called Moonlight Over the Empire State? According to the summary it's a fictionalized account of the day to day life of the New York governor in 2258." Jim suggested. To his surprise McCoy found the movie unexpectedly interesting. Usually he could care less about politicians. But this governor was a colorful character and he found himself drawn into the film.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Stardate 2266.89

"Incoming communication from Daran Four. Do you wish to receive?" the computer stated. The voice of the computer caused McCoy to open his eyes just after he had laid down to sleep in his bedroom. Who would be calling this late at night, he wondered as he sat up in bed.

"Receive comm." he stated as he walked over to the comm channel on his desk and smoothed his hair down. Instead of Natira as he had been expecting he saw some Fabrini official that he vaguely remembered Natira introducing him to when she was in San Francisco to officially open the Fabrini Embassy.

"It's Nevar isn't it?" McCoy asked.

"Yes it is Doctor McCoy. My apologies for interrupting your sleep but I thought you would wish to hear the news as soon as possible." the Fabrini man stated.

"What happened?" McCoy demanded.

"Natira leads a council for the Fabrini people once a month where the community can come and discuss a dispute they wish to have resolved. During the latest such meeting earlier today there was a Fabrini man by the name of Turvell who was very angry with Natira for her part in destroying the Oracle, which was the main computer on the Yonada. Turvell questioned her leadership as he thought that Natira could not be as wise or knowledgeable as the Oracle once was."

"He felt that the decision to become members of the Federation was misguided as those on Earth would never fully want to understand the Fabrini. Turvell claimed that it the Federation was purely a diplomatic organization then they would not fly around in heavily armed spaceships like the Enterprise. He stated that by doing so the Federation had given the Fabrini reason to fear them. Turvell claimed that not all invasions were at the point of a phaser. Some invasions came in the form of ideas or technology instead."

"Natira conceded that he might have a point but that so far the Federation had proven to be trustworthy allies and so she would not change the course of our society. Turvell then stated that he would have to change Fabrini society for himself. Before the guards or anyone else could react he stepped closer to Natira and…" Nevar paused and took a deep breath before he continued speaking.

"I'm sorry to say this Doctor McCoy but Turvell broke Natira's neck and she dropped to the floor. The guards took Turvell away and Natira was confirmed dead. I can assure you there will be a trial in regards to this matter. Given the overwhelming evidence and the witnesses the verdict for Turvell will likely be lifetime imprisonment in a detainment cell. I will inform you when this occurs. I suspect the trial will be tomorrow as will Natira's funeral."

"We took the liberty of searching through Natira's personal effects and found a data disk that was addressed to you with the instructions that you should view it in the event of her death. If you wish I can play that now." Nevar concluded. McCoy nodded tersely. A moment later Nevar's grim face disappeared from the screen and he instead saw the serious face of Natira. As she began to speak McCoy listened intently.

"Hello Leonard. If you are viewing this message then I am dead. Did I know that I might die? No, but I always thought that it was a possibility as the leader of the Fabrini. I told you when we first met that I would relish however much time I had with you. That time was not as long as I would have wanted. Now that I am gone I want you to find happiness without me Leonard. You told me once that I was all you ever wanted in a woman. But if there is someone you meet who you can be happy with then you have my blessing to pursue a relationship with them. I don't want you to spend the rest of your life so busy mourning me that you forget to enjoy love and happiness around you. You should enjoy every moment of your life for as long as you have it. I love you. Goodbye Leonard." Natira said. The communication ended a moment later. He bowed his head and closed his eyes briefly. Dammit, he would not cry right now. Not that there was anything wrong with doing so, he thought.

McCoy knew he wasn't going to get anymore sleep that night. So he went to the kitchen and pulled out the real alcohol from the cabinet. He poured himself a glass but paused before he drank anything. McCoy remembered that he and Jim had made a promise during the first semester of the Academy that neither of them were to ever drink alone. That promise had been made after Jim had found him drunk in a bar and escorted him back to their room on the evening Pamela had refused to allow him to talk to Joanna on her birthday. Thus far in their friendship they had kept to that promise. So McCoy dug out another glass, poured another serving of alcohol, then opened an comm channel to Jim.

"Hey Jim, how are you?" he asked.

"Bones it's late. What can I do for you?" came the voice of Jim.

"Sorry to bother you at this hour Jim. I just wanted to have a drink with you. But if you're busy…" McCoy replied.

"Only with paperwork and I could use a break from that. I'll be over at your place soon. Kirk out." replied Jim. The communication ended a moment later. Jim was at his door shortly afterwards. McCoy was silent as he let Jim inside his quarters and they walked into the kitchen. The two of them took a seat.

"So why did you want a drink together tonight?" Jim asked as he held up the glass of alcohol.

"Natira's dead Jim." McCoy quietly stated.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Jim responded. They fell into silence and drank the alcohol. By now they knew each other well enough to know when neither was in the mood for conversation. But they also knew when to talk, as Jim proved when he looked at McCoy several minutes later after they had both finished their glasses.

"Do you want me to tell the crew of the Enterprise?" Jim wondered.

"You can mention it to Spock if you want. But I'd rather not have the entire crew know. Though they might find out if the Federation News Service mentions the funeral tomorrow." McCoy replied.

"All right. Take care of yourself Bones." Jim stated.

"Good night Jim." McCoy answered. Jim clasped his shoulder briefly then left the apartment. McCoy went back to bed. But as he suspected he didn't get any more rest that night.

Over the next week McCoy took all the extra shifts at the hospital he could. If he was working then he wouldn't be thinking about Natira. He only went back to his quarters to shower, eat, and sleep. As a result McCoy wasn't that surprised to find Jim on his doorstep a week after he had last seen him. Jim hadn't commed him in the last week which he was grateful for. McCoy let his friend into his quarters and brought out the alcohol again. He poured them both a glass.

"So it this the first drink you've had since the night you heard of Natira's death?" Jim wanted to know.

"Yeah." was all McCoy would say to that. He was a doctor and he didn't have the luxury of getting drunk anymore like he had after the divorce. Not that alcohol would solve any of his problems if he did get drunk, he knew. Jim nodded and took a sip of the drink.

"That's good." Jim said. McCoy took his own swallow of the drink.

"This whisky was a gift from S'nell." he admitted. He wasn't sure how S'nell had heard about Natira's death but he knew that she was in regular contact with Spock so that was likely how she had found out.

"So you and S'nell are free to pursue something together now." Jim remarked after he had finished drinking what was in his glass. McCoy raised an eyebrow at that.

"Jim, it's far too early for a romance with S'nell. Let me mourn the end of one relationship before I start another. Besides, who is to say that if I start something with S'nell that it will go well? After all, I don't have the best track record when it comes to keeping women happy." he firmly stated.

"Yes but there is more to life then being a doctor or my friend Bones." countered Jim.

"My duty as a doctor will always come first before everything else. Not everyone understands that." McCoy responded.

"I think S'nell does. She's seen how much being a doctor means to you. I don't think she would complain at you putting your patients first." Jim reflected.

"Whether or not she would isn't important. What matters is that right now is not the time to start something with S'nell. Jumping in with both feet right now would dishonour Natira's memory." McCoy insisted.

"Maybe you're right. But you should say something to S'nell about how you feel before the next five year mission Bones. Otherwise you might come back to Earth and discover that S'nell has found another man in your absence." Jim speculated. McCoy frowned at that possibility but he couldn't deny that Jim could be right about that.

"I'll think about it Jim. Now can we change the subject or better yet drink in silence?" was all he said.

"Sure Bones." Jim said. McCoy filled their glasses one more time and they finished this glass in silence before Jim looked at him again.

"Thanks for coming Jim." McCoy stated.

"Of course. Good night Bones." Jim replied.

"Good night Jim." he stated.

Jim nodded then left his quarters. McCoy turned to go to his bedroom. After those drinks he didn't feel quite as alone as he had earlier, McCoy thought as he prepared for bed. Jim was a good friend even if he was also sometimes a pain in the ass, was McCoy's last thought before he fell asleep that night.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N:

This is the last chapter of Fresh Adjustments. Thank you for reading and a special thanks for those who left a review, followed the story, or gave this story a fav. Or subscribed to this story, left comments, and left kudos. There will be a sequel to this story entitled Fresh Developments. That work will be posted on Fanfiction and AO3 soon.

Chapter Six

Stardate 2266.188

McCoy stood near one of the walls and looked out over the room. Nurse Dominique and S'nell had organized this farewell party to send off the crew of the Enterprise A on their next five year mission. That mission would begin tomorrow morning. Most of the people in the room now he recognized by sight if not by name or rank.

The new nurse in his med bay, Nurse Robson, currently talked to Nurse Dominique. His new assistant CMO was none other then Christine Chapel who was now a Doctor. He had worked with Doctor Chapel well enough when she was a nurse so McCoy didn't envision any problems with her. Yeoman Rand was back on the ship though now she was a Petty Officer and had taken transporter training to replace Ensign Dennis. There was another new transporter technician, Petty Officer Lopez who replaced Ensign Henderson. Ensign Wong's replacement in the botany department was Ensign Varga. The new chief of security Lieutenant Commander Umal had a new second in command Lieutenant Gabor. The navigator who had replaced Lieutenant Yates was Lieutenant Aiza. The physicist who replaced Ensign Harper was Lieutenant Anker. Time would only tell how these new additions would fit into the crew.

The biggest surprise when it came to the crew for this five year mission was the news six weeks after Spock and Lieutenant Commander Uhura's recent pon farr on New Vulcan. Lieutenant Commander Uhura had fainted during a meeting with her fellow linguists. A subsequent medical exam had revealed that she was pregnant as the strong hormones of the pon farr had overridden her mandatory birth control hyposprays. As a result of this news Spock and Lieutenant Commander Uhura had decided they would both remain on Earth based positions until their child was grown. Although McCoy would miss both of them on the ship he knew Jim would miss them both even more.

The replacement chief communications officer was a female Caitain by the name of Lieutenant M'Ress. Given how easily she talked with Jim at the moment McCoy thought the two of them would get along just fine. As for the new Commander of the Enterprise A he was a Denobulan by the name of Dh'lar who happened to be an exobiologist. Spock had said that his research was intelligent which was quite a high compliment considering the source. Right now Commander Dh'lar talked with Lieutenant Sulu.

"Come and mingle Bones." urged Jim who had appeared at his side while he had been thinking. McCoy turned to look at him.

"I'm fine Jim. Just because I'm standing by myself doesn't mean that I'm anti-social." he protested.

"All right. You know, I hope that having Doctor Chapel on board won't be weird. She's clearly moved on and so have I. But I just hope we can both be professional." Jim admitted.

"Just remember that she's married now and things will be fine." advised McCoy.

"Don't worry Bones. I plan on being professional with all of the crew this time around." Jim assured him.

"Glad to hear it. Speaking of the crew what do you think of the new additions?" McCoy wondered.

"Well, I didn't spend much time with Lieutenant Gabor, Lieutenant Anker, or Lieutenant Aiza so it's too early to say how they will fit into the crew. Ensign Varga seemed nice and Petty Officer Lopez had a good sense of humour. Lieutenant M'Ress certainly seemed to know what she's talking about. I can see why Lieutenant Commander Uhura recommended her. I haven't talked to Nurse Robson so far though I'm sure if there is a problem with her then you'll let me know. As for Commander Dh'lar he is certainly much more outgoing then Spock." Jim remarked.

"I'll say." McCoy remarked as he observed Commander Dh'lar who now talked with S'nell. Both of them seemed quite animated in their discussion. The last time McCoy had seen S'nell this animated was when she talked about one of her research projects on the Enterprise. He understood some of what S'nell talked about when it came to her research though not all of it. He frowned slightly when he saw Commander Dh'lar make a point with one of his arms which caused S'nell to smile at him. Why didn't she smile like that around him, McCoy wondered. Then he realized he had no right to be thinking about that question.

"Jealous Bones?" wondered Jim quietly. McCoy looked away for a moment rather then answer that. S'nell had every right to talk to anyone she wanted about anything she wished. He certainly had no right to demand otherwise. An elbow to his ribs from Jim several minutes later caused him to look up in enough time to see S'nell as she walked toward the two of them.

"Good evening Kirk, Doctor McCoy. Doctor McCoy may I talk to you privately?" S'nell said.

"Sure. Excuse us Jim." McCoy replied. Jim nodded and the two of them turned to walk away from the crowd. McCoy followed S'nell into another room down the hall and then closed the door behind him before he spoke again.

"What is this about S'nell?" he continued.

"I wanted to ask you something in private." she stated as she looked at his right shoulder.

"Go ahead." McCoy urged her. She nodded then took a deep breath.

"This is a very personal question but I'd appreciate an honest answer. Do you still love Natira?" S'nell wondered. McCoy raised an eyebrow at the unexpected question as he wasn't sure why she wanted to talk about his late wife.

"There's a part of me that will always remember Natira. I don't regret the time we had together and I've accepted her death. At the time of her death and for weeks afterwards I couldn't even contemplate the possibility of moving on. But lately I've realized that I have to." McCoy admitted.

"I see. Have you ever considered having another romantic relationship with a woman?" S'nell asked. McCoy took a deep breath then walked closer to her. It was now or never, he thought. He placed his right hand on her right shoulder which caused S'nell to raise her head and look him in the eyes.

"Only with you S'nell. But do you still want to have a romantic relationship with me?" McCoy wondered.

"Yes." S'nell confirmed. McCoy smiled at that and she returned his smile.

"Well in that case call me Leonard when we're alone. Though I tend to date first before doing anything physical." McCoy stated.

"I must admit that I tend to do the opposite. Though I certainly would like to spend time in private with you, there is no need for flowers, chocolate, alcohol, or for you to act differently around me. I've always preferred flowers in their natural setting rather then in a lab or a bouquet. As an Andorian chocolate is poisonous to me. While I like alcohol I have a low tolerance for it. When it comes to you acting differently because we are now romantically involved, please do not do so. I've never liked the Human need to try and impress someone by pretending to be someone they are not in the hope that will keep them together as a couple. That facade never lasts and just causes pain in the end. Instead I would like honesty from you and will do my best to be honest with you in return. I don't need a man to complete me. But wanting one in my life is different and I want you in every sense of the word Leonard." S'nell explained.

"Well, I don't need a woman to complete me. Though I want you in my life too S'nell. But as I've never been with an Andorian before can we go slowly?" McCoy responded.

"I can agree to that considering that I've never been involved with a Human before." S'nell consented.

"Look, I'm clean sexually but nothing in that department has to happen tonight. I don't want to rush this relationship S'nell. There's no need to act like a horse just out of the gate of the Kentucky Derby." McCoy told her.

"I am also healthy and have kept up all my hyposprays. I appreciate that you wish to go slowly as we should get to know each other better. But I would certainly not object to kissing you right now." S'nell stated.

"OK." agreed McCoy as he placed both of his hands at her waist. Her own arms wrapped around his back. S'nell lifted her face toward his and McCoy slowly lowered his lips towards hers. Their kiss began as a gentle and exploratory one as he had no desire to remind S'nell of the harsh kiss of his transporter duplicate. But their kiss quickly became more passionate when S'nell moved her hands up his back to his shoulders. When she did so McCoy pulled her flush against him. A moment later her arms tightened around him and her hands pressed firmly into his shoulders. All of his long repressed desire and admiration for S'nell found an outlet now in their kiss. S'nell didn't hold back either as she matched his ardor. Eventually they separated for air. Their foreheads touched as they both panted for breath. Her arms loosened slightly around McCoy but she didn't step away from him.

"Take care of yourself during this mission Leonard. I'll be waiting for your return." S'nell told him.

"I'll do my best to come back to you safe and sound but both of us know how dangerous space is." he warned her. Her antenna moved forward as if in agreement. A moment later McCoy moved his head and kissed S'nell again. Unlike the passionate urgency of their first kiss this time felt like a tender farewell between them. They reluctantly separated for air.

"As much as I would like to remain in your arms, we should rejoin the others before they begin to speculate about what we have discussed privately." S'nell suggested. McCoy nodded in agreement and then watched as S'nell left the room. Once he got his arousal under control McCoy rejoined the party. It was hard not to touch S'nell for the rest of the party but somehow he managed it. Damn, he'd really miss S'nell on this upcoming five year mission, McCoy realized.


End file.
